stocker lee architetti wraps MANMADE seoul with textile-like concrete and glass blocks

geometry and materials define MANMADE Seoul flagship

Stocker Lee Architetti completes the MANMADE flagship store for Wooyoungmi in Seoul’s Itaewon district. The 970-square-meter building occupies a compact, curved plot along a slightly inclined road, a condition that becomes the primary design driver of the project. The architects allow the perimeter of the site to define the volume, resulting in an architecture that bends, adjusts, and aligns itself with the movement of the street.

The geometry of the building follows the curvature of the road and sets the tone for the project. The architecture does not compete with its surroundings or the garments it houses but instead constructs a measured spatial framework that supports both.

Exposed concrete, cast using OSB formwork and finished with a mineral glaze, carries visible traces of its making, allowing texture and patina to develop over time. The surface recalls the logic of fabric, with a woven appearance subtly echoing the sartorial world of Wooyoungmi. Glass blocks define the facade, filtering daylight into the interior during the day and transforming the building into a softly glowing volume after dusk. 

all images by Simone Bossi

Stocker Lee Architetti designs a mezzanine-based spatial sequence

The Swiss architects organize the program through a sequence of mezzanine levels connected by a central vertical core that functions as the project’s structural and spatial backbone. Moving through the store becomes a continuous journey, with changing ceiling heights and proportions introducing variation across the exhibition spaces. This sectional strategy allows each area to develop its own character while remaining part of a cohesive whole.

Concrete, glass, steel, stone, and wood form the material palette of the MANMADE flagship store, selected by Stocker Lee Architetti for their structural and functional qualities rather than decorative effect. Their sobriety establishes a neutral yet tactile environment in which the clothing assumes visual priority. The MANMADE flagship store operates as an urban interior that translates site constraints, material logic, and spatial continuity into an understated but highly controlled architectural experience.

Stocker Lee Architetti completes the MANMADE flagship store for Wooyoungmi in Seoul

the 970-square-meter building occupies a compact, curved plot

the architects allow the perimeter of the parcel to define the volume

an architecture that bends, adjusts, and aligns itself with the movement of the street

the geometry of the building follows the curvature of the road and sets the tone for the project

glass blocks define the facade

the glass blocks filter daylight into the interior during the day

transforming the building into a softly glowing volume after dusk

the surfaces recall the logic of fabric

concrete is cast using OSB formwork and finished with a mineral glaze

the Swiss architects organize the program through a sequence of mezzanine levels

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changing ceiling heights introduce variation across exhibition spaces

a restrained material palette frames circulation and movement through the store

minimal display elements allow the garments to take visual priority

the glass block facade follows the curvature of the street-facing elevation

exposed concrete walls carry visible traces of OSB formwork

minimal display elements allow the garments to take visual priority

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

facade | all drawings by Stocker Lee Architetti

first floor

second floor

section A

section B

facade

plan

roof

facade

project info:

name: MANMADE flagship

architect: Stocker Lee Architetti | @stockerleearchitetti

client: Wooyoungmi | @wooyoungmi

location: Itaewon, Seoul, South Korea

site area: 490 square meters

gross floor area: 970 square meters

volume: 5,600 cubic meters

photographer: Simone Bossi | @simonebossiphotographer